Young Spruce Grouse
A brief moment's rest
Chipmunk with a yummy snack
Peninsular, Lower Kananaskis Lake
A brief moment of rest
Quite a typical view
Lower Kananaskis Lake at Peninsular
Lichens and moss at Rock Glacier
Between a rock and a hard place
The long road south
Lichen at Rock Glacier
Push!
Our beautiful foothills on an overcast day
Spruce Grouse, adult female
Light-coloured Pika
The beauty of Kananaskis along Highway 40
Distant haze
Hiding between the rocks
Mid-squeak!
Peninsular area, Lower Kananaskis Lake
It's that little guy (gal) again
Peninsular area, Lower Kananaskis Lake
When fall colours are just a memory
Sometimes it's wildlife, sometimes it's .... cows
A patterned sky
The beauty of fall
3 Nature's artwork
02 Hidden in the clouds
01 The glory of fall
A beauty from mushroom season
Growing in the cracks
Osprey on the hunt
Shingled/Scaly Hedgehog fungus / Sarcodon imbricat…
A brief close encounter
Hiding in the shadows
Two winters ago
Hungry little Chipmunk
One spectacular fall day
Love those little Pika feet
Mushroom at Rock Glacier
Red beauty on a scree slope
Before the snow came
And here comes the snow
White-tailed Ptarmigan - my first ever!
Black eyes and beaks are a give-away
Now you see them ... now you don't
Bighorn Sheep, number 18
A few craggy peaks
Glowing White-tailed Ptarmigan
Gathering of the White-tailed Ptarmigan
Curious Moose
Just like winter
A favourite mountain slope
White beauty
Resting on a bed of snow
Almost a disappearing act
White-tailed Ptarmigan in the sun
The sparkle of winter
Before winter officially arrives
Jagged little peaks
Master of camouflage
Before the snow
Almost-disappearing act
One of my favourite meadows
A gathering of female Bighorn Sheep
Northern Gentian
Young Spruce Grouse
A bright splash of blue in August
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
The cutest little furball
Female Spruce Grouse with one of her young
Tiny Hummingbird at Highwood House
Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
A joy to behold
Slightly patterned
Treasures of the forest floor
Unidentified fungus
Wind-blown Osprey
Mt Lorette Ponds, Kananaskis
Paintbrush - green flowers, red bracts
Strawberries and cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Osprey take-off
Now they can't see me
Meadow Creek area, Benchlands
A day in the mountains
Pika / Ochonta princeps
Sunlight on the low cloud
Morning awakes
How I love Alberta!
Sparkles on Forgetmenot Pond
Deciduous yellow
Fence line in the fall
The joy of peace and quiet
Forgetmenot Pond
Farmland of the Alberta foothills
Autumn's glory
View looking west towards the Rockies
Looking towards our beautiful mountains
Pika, up close
Love a Pika's ears
Driving in a winter wonderland
Mountain splendour
Sunshine on a mighty peak
A patchwork of lichens
Columbian Ground Squirrel
Black Bear from last spring
A moment of closeness
From shadow to light
A different backdrop
Sunlit peaks
A final goodbye
Sunbathed mountain slopes
A place of peace and beauty
Happy New Year, everyone!
Light and darkness
Heading into the sun
Texture of burnt trees
Soaking up the incredible beauty
Yesterday morning's sunrise
Mountain view
Layers of blue
Living in a rocky world
The beauty of low cloud
Eye-catching Fireweed
Red-tailed Hawk with tree bokeh
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164 visits
Mushroom in a wonderfully lush setting
On 12 August 2016, friend Dorothy phoned and asked if I'd like to go with them to Kananaskis for the day. A last minute decision - and of course I said yes! What a great day we had in the mountains, with perfect weather and so many mushrooms to keep all three of us happy.
When I think how many endless rainy days we have been having for so many weeks, we were so lucky that the sun shone, the temperature was pleasant, and a slight breeze kept comfort levels just right.
Our first brief stop was at a pond on the way to Bragg Creek, where a mutual friend had been seeing a Common Loon, but there was no sign of it when we were there. From there, once we eventually reached the mountains, we stopped at a large pond to check for birds and kept our eyes open for any mushrooms. The ground seemed too dry here, for any fungi to be growing. However, we were treated to wonderful views of a beautiful Osprey perched on top of a tall coniferous tree further down the path. It flew to a few different trees and then finally made the plunge for a fish, with success. What a splash it made! Once caught, it flew out of sight - maybe it had a nest somewhere with young ones to feed.
"Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id
Our next stop was further into the mountains and we found that the ground was damper and more conducive to the growth of mushrooms. I suspect that after all the rain we've had this summer, one could find mushrooms growing anywhere. We were certainly lucky at this location, finding various species. One of the highlights of the day for me was seeing one of my favourite fungi, Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii - the one that produces small, ruby red droplets on the surface. The individuals we saw were not hugely photogenic, but wonderful to see, both at this location and our next stop, at Kananaskis Lakes.
Lunch was eaten at a convenient picnic table right by a large creek after this first walk. While we were sitting there, a cute little Chipmunk (Least Chipmunk?) stopped long enough to take a quick peek at us through the tall grass blades. I suspect it thought it was well hidden.
After our lunch, we drove to Kananaskis Lakes and went for a most enjoyable hike - a fairly slow one, as there were mushrooms everywhere! We had been along this trail in previous years and had found a good variety of fungi. This photo was taken along this path. There were so many people on the trail! Good to see everyone out enjoying the good weather, fresh mountain air, and beautiful scenery. My friends returned to the same areas two days later and found about two-thirds less the number of mushrooms, so hopefully we will have more rain soon (and preferably at night!).
Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, not just for this great day out, but for also helping to make my wait for my new car to arrive, easier! Greatly appreciated. Thank goodness, the wait came to an end on 29 August.
When I think how many endless rainy days we have been having for so many weeks, we were so lucky that the sun shone, the temperature was pleasant, and a slight breeze kept comfort levels just right.
Our first brief stop was at a pond on the way to Bragg Creek, where a mutual friend had been seeing a Common Loon, but there was no sign of it when we were there. From there, once we eventually reached the mountains, we stopped at a large pond to check for birds and kept our eyes open for any mushrooms. The ground seemed too dry here, for any fungi to be growing. However, we were treated to wonderful views of a beautiful Osprey perched on top of a tall coniferous tree further down the path. It flew to a few different trees and then finally made the plunge for a fish, with success. What a splash it made! Once caught, it flew out of sight - maybe it had a nest somewhere with young ones to feed.
"Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id
Our next stop was further into the mountains and we found that the ground was damper and more conducive to the growth of mushrooms. I suspect that after all the rain we've had this summer, one could find mushrooms growing anywhere. We were certainly lucky at this location, finding various species. One of the highlights of the day for me was seeing one of my favourite fungi, Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii - the one that produces small, ruby red droplets on the surface. The individuals we saw were not hugely photogenic, but wonderful to see, both at this location and our next stop, at Kananaskis Lakes.
Lunch was eaten at a convenient picnic table right by a large creek after this first walk. While we were sitting there, a cute little Chipmunk (Least Chipmunk?) stopped long enough to take a quick peek at us through the tall grass blades. I suspect it thought it was well hidden.
After our lunch, we drove to Kananaskis Lakes and went for a most enjoyable hike - a fairly slow one, as there were mushrooms everywhere! We had been along this trail in previous years and had found a good variety of fungi. This photo was taken along this path. There were so many people on the trail! Good to see everyone out enjoying the good weather, fresh mountain air, and beautiful scenery. My friends returned to the same areas two days later and found about two-thirds less the number of mushrooms, so hopefully we will have more rain soon (and preferably at night!).
Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, not just for this great day out, but for also helping to make my wait for my new car to arrive, easier! Greatly appreciated. Thank goodness, the wait came to an end on 29 August.
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